The script was everything one could hope for, and by all accounts going to be one hell of a fun movie. It had impressive action, wonderful humor, and was fantastically faithful to the original works. The project began developments at Chris Columbus' 1492 Productions with Columbus intending to direct it himself. A veterandirector of blockbusters such as "Home Alone" and writer of 1985's "Young Sherlock Holmes" film, Columbus' involvement seemed to solidify the film's future. However, there was another British literary hero who would soon set Sherlock Holmes on the shelf:

Harry Potter.

Chris Columbus became committed to directing the film version of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", leaving "Sherlock Holmes and the Vengeance of Dracula" without a director, but still with a production company behind it, led by Columbus. Columbus would go back and forth on whether or not he wanted to relinquish his director's chair to someone else or wait until after his Harry Potter commitments ended to film Sherlock Holmes. One thing was certain, however. Despite overwhelming fanapproval from those who had found the screenplay on the internet, Columbus wanted a new draft of the script. Though he planned to re-write it himself, he had no free time from Harry Potter, and hired softcorehorror filmmaker Rand Ravich for the job. It is unknown as to whether or not Ravich's draft has been finished.

In late March of 2001, Michael Valle passed away from septic shock stemming from an infection caused by pancreatic cancer. Chris Columbus has stepped down after directing the first two installments in the Harry Potter series for film, and has not announced a next project. To date, there have been no movements to try and revive interest in "Sherlock Holmes and the Vengeance of Dracula".